SummerProfessionalDevelopmentAcademy for K-12 Teachers of English
Language Learners (ELLs)

As part of
the Virginia Department of Education's ongoing effort to meet the state
professional development requirements for Title III, Part A, Language
Instruction for Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Immigrant Students, under
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB),
a summer
professional development academy for all teachers of ELLs
in kindergarten through grade 12 will be offered in collaboration with George
Mason University.The graduate-level
course entitled, Education 600:Reading and Writing Strategies for LEP
Students, will be held in Richmond.The
course will be held from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. on July 14 through July 18, 2008.

The
focus of the course will be effective reading and writing teaching strategies
for use with ELLs.Participants will receive three hours of graduate-level credit through
George Mason University upon successful completion of the course.

The Virginia Department of Education
will pay the tuition and costs for all participants, as well as lodging for participants
requiring an overnight stay. The costs
of meals and travel will be the responsibility of the participants.A block of hotel rooms will be reserved at
the state rate for all participants, subject to availability.

Course
participation is limited to the first 75 teachers. To
obtain additional information or enroll in the course, please go to http://gse.gmu.edu/fasttrain/vadoe/
and follow the directions in the Welcome message. If you have difficulty
accessing the website, please contact Afsaneh Ziaee at aziaee@gmu.edu.

If you have questions about the course,
please contact Stacy Freeman, ESL specialist, at the Virginia Department of
Education, at (804) 371-0778 or at Stacy.Freeman@doe.virginia.gov.